SMITH, KAITLYN AURELIA / GODDARD, JOE - NEPTUNES (LTD EP)

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith's formative years were spent communing with nature on Orcas Island in the northwest region of Washington state, a place she describes as "one of the most magical and peaceful places I have ever been." Though she wouldn't begin experimenting with modular synthesis until many years later, her creative work continues to be infused with and inspired by the vitality and serenity of Orcas. Smith left the island to attend Berklee College of Music, where she studied composition and sound engineering, initially focusing on her voice as her primary instrument, before switching to classical guitar and piano. She employed many of the skills she refined in college in her indie-folk band Ever Isles, but a fateful encounter with a neighbor who lent her a Buchla 100 synthesizer, had a profound effect on her. Mesmerized by the Buchla’s potential, she explains "I got so distracted and enamored with the process of making sounds with it that I abandoned the next Ever Isles album." Starting with rhythmic patterns and melodic pulses, she soon began sculpting lush and exciting worlds of sound. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

Joe Goddard (aka Ulysses), has been a somewhat inescapable figure of the past few years. As vocalist, percussionist and synth-wizard in Hot Chip, he's seduced listeners from both rock and dance spheres over the course of three albums, melding live instrumentation and electronics with an irresistibly twee aesthetic. The group have always been interested in the dance floor, as proven by their remarkably diverse additions to the Bugged Out! and DJ Kicks catalogue, mountain of remixes and hectic DJing schedule, with Goddard spinning records either solo or alongside his Hot Chip companions. Sites: Discogs Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.